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Holy Communion at Forth St Pauls

This Sunday (10th October) we are celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

At the Kirk Session meeting on Wednesday 6th October 2010, we discussed the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Dates – Agreed to continue with new date structure  second Sunday in the month.January, Easter Sunday, May, August and October.There will be an evening midweek Communion in December.Monthly end of service communions for the other months are to be re-introduced in 2011, with fixed dates put in the diary by the Worship and Fellowship committee.

How we do it? – Seating  After discussion of coming forward during the hymn before communion and sitting up for the whole of the service in the chancel, the majority of elders and committee members voted in favour of sitting in the chancel area for the whole of the service.Serving– After discussing various models of serving communion the Session and committee members voted overwhelming for trying the following serving method.It was agreed to continue this practice for the next year and then discuss whether it was helpful or not as it can take time to get used this method.Everyone is served at the same time and eats and drinks at the same time.Rather than serve the Session first and then the congregation, the bread will be served from the Table directly to the congregation and then to the Elders and Minister at the Table.You are asked to hold it and then you are invited to wait for the Minister to give the signal to eat together.The same will happen with the wine  everyone will drink from individual glasses.If you have difficulty holding onto the bread or wine for a short time, then please feel free to take the elements as soon as you receive them.We do not expect it to take long to serve every one.

When do the elements leave the service?Agreed during the hymn following communion and the elders return to the chancel area for the benediction.

Children at Holy Communion This has been remitted to the Children and Youth Committee to explore further with Sunday School teachers, and the minister, and perhaps look at developing a family communion service.The Kirk Session agreed a number of years ago to allow children to participate in Communion but we have never followed up that decision.